Card engine

ABSTRACT

The invention refers to a card engine or card machine comprising a measuring device for detecting the forces prevailing between the revolving cover and the drum. The device shall be improved in such a manner that the quality of the treated fibres can be influenced in an economical and efficient manner. This is achieved by virtue of the fact that the measuring device comprises a sensor for detecting the power consumption of the drive of the revolving cover. The sensor is arranged on the drive of the revolving cover or acts thereas, thereby facilitating the use of commercially available elements, which in turn is more economical.

The present invention refers to a card engine or card machine comprising a measuring device for detecting the force prevailing between a revolving cover and a drum.

Card engines or card machines already exist in which the power states between the revolving cover and drum are measured. According to the prior art, strain gauges are attached on the revolving cover to be able to detect the forces occurring during operation of the card engine or card machine.

However, the present prior art reveals some disadvantages. On the one hand, additional separate components must be attached on the card engine or card machine, namely strain gauges. This leads to high costs. On the other hand, it is not helpful to use only one or few strain gauges but a plurality of strain gauges must be used. Only then can the entire width of the revolving cover be covered by strain gauges. If only few strain gauges are used, the measuring result is too imprecise. The attachment of the strain gauges as such is also expensive. A connection of strain gauges is also costly and laborious, which, as they are attached on the revolving cover and therefore co-rotate, must be connected in a signal-transmitting manner with the fixed component for receiving the signal.

Thus, it is the object of the invention to design a card engine or card machine with a sensing means, which can be designed, structured and operated in a durable and cost-effective manner.

This object is solved according to the invention in that the measuring device comprises a sensor for detecting the power consumption of the drive of the revolving cover.

In an embodiment of a card engine or card machine according to the invention, the power need of the motor of the revolving cover used for the drive is measured. For this purpose a sensor is used. By the aid of this measuring value, which is determined by the sensor, the power in the gap between the revolving cover and the drum can indirectly be measured. Thus, a destruction of the card engine or card machine can be prevented, since excessively high forces in the gap between the revolving cover and the drum are avoided. By attaching the sensor on the engine of the revolving cover, a control of the force in the gap between the revolving cover and the drum is very quickly enabled.

Advantageous embodiments are defined by the dependent claims.

It is particularly advantageous if the measuring value can be determined at an electric motor for driving the revolving cover, since a measurement on an electric motor can be implemented particularly simple and efficiently.

It is particularly advantageous if the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor can be measured through the sensor, the measured value can be utilized for creating a control signal. In such a constellation, it can quickly be reacted to excessive power peaks in the card engine or card machine and the quality of the processed fibres can be optimised.

If the measured value is further processed, a predetermined control reaction can be defined for each measured value. Thus, a flexible reaction can be enabled. If the measured value is processed in a computer unit, standard elements can be used, which can be obtained on the market at a low price. Thereby the costs in the development of a card engine or card machine can be minimised.

It is particularly advantageous if the measured value is compared to a previously defined upper limit value or a previously defined lower limit value and previously defined control signals can be generated. Thus, the limits of operation can be defined in which an economic operation of card engine and card machine is enabled.

It may also be particularly advantageous if the supply of fibres into the gap between the revolving cover and the drum can be controlled through the control signals. Thus, it may be avoided that too many fibres penetrate into the gap between the revolving cover and the drum and an obstruction of the card engine or card machine is the result. Thus, the quality of the processed fibres may be influenced positively.

If an overload protection of the revolving cover can be implemented in that the revolving cover drive upon existence of a measured value can be switched off via a previously defined maximum value, a total destruction of the card engine or card machine may be prevented in the case of overload. This may require an especially durable card engine or card machine.

If the carding forces are controllable after measuring the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor, a flexible operating mode of the card engine or card machine can be enabled. This is particularly meaningful in the operation with different fibres.

If the sensor measures the measured value through a detection of the medium, which can be utilised for driving the revolving cover, the power between the revolving cover and the drum can indirectly be detected. Through this indirect mode a measurement can be made at a position easy to be reached, said measurement having a high accuracy.

If the power consumption of the drive of the revolving cover is determined, a conclusion can be drawn in such a method on the powers in the gap between the revolving cover and the drum.

It may be particularly advantageous in a method according to the invention if the measured value is determined through a detection of the power need of the revolving cover drive motor. In the case of the possible use of elements common on the market, a control of the card engine or card machine may take place in an inexpensive and reliable manner.

If the supply quantity of the fibres to the card machine or card engine according to the detected measured value upon exceeding a previously defined limit value is controlled, a control may result, which has an extremely small time delay and is therefore quickly responsive, which leads to a high processing quality and has an overload protection, which results in a long life.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to a drawing.

FIG. 1 shows the side elevation view of a card engine or card machine, and

FIG. 2 shows the detail view of the gap between the revolving cover and the drum.

A carding device in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of a carding roller or a drum 2 is schematically shown in FIG. 1. The envelope surface 8 of the drum 2 is provided with a set 9 for processing fibre material. The set 9 consists of a wound-up toothed wire, wherein the individual teeth point with their tips in the direction of rotation or carding direction B. The design of such sets 9 is well known in the prior art and shall not be described any closer. It can be seen by means of arrow B that the drum 2 rotates clockwise. On the left side, an opening roller 10, shown schematically, is located, which supplies the fibres to the drum 2. A supply unit 4 is connected to the opening roller 10, said unit supplying the fibres to the opening roller 10. Known opening roller devices can also be used in this case. The prior art reveals sufficient examples in this respect.

At least one pickup roller 11 is located on the opposite side, said pickup roller 11 being schematical for the pickup device that removes the carded fibres from the drum 2 and discharges them for further processing. Regarding the pickup device 11 there are sufficient examples in the prior art, which do not have to be discussed in detail.

On the outer periphery, at least in the upper portion (in the section between the opening roller 10 and the pickup roller 11) of the card engine or card machine, the revolving cover 1 is located. The revolving cover 1 is driven through the revolving cover drive motor 3. The revolving cover drive motor 3 is non-positively connected to the revolving cover 1. The revolving cover drive 1 is arranged above the drum 2 and rotates in the same direction as the drum. The revolving cover is s toothed band in the embodiment shown, which revolves endlessly. The band is reversed through at least two reversing rollers 12 and 13 in a manner that a regular and equally large distance results between the upper portion of the drum, namely the envelope surface 8 in the upper portion of the drum 2 and the reversed band. The revolving cover drive motor 3 drives the reversing roller 12 via a non-positive connection and thereby drives the revolving cover 1.

The revolving cover 1, which is formed movably, extends in the area of the drum adapted to the contour of the drum 2 in an arc-shaped manner, wherein the lower side is possibly arranged always at the same distance to the envelope surface 3. A tooth set 14 is provided on the lower side of the revolving cover 1.

The set 9 and the set 14 as well as the fundamental design and arrangement of such sets on carding elements are sufficiently known from the prior art. These tooth sets 9 and 14 are composed of toothed wire sections arranged in juxtaposition.

The revolving cover 1 is arranged floatingly at a low distance over the drum 2 and moves opposite to the direction of rotation B of the drum 2. Thus, a gap 15 for carding the fibres, which are not shown, exists between the tooth set 9 of the drum 2 and the toothed set 14 of the revolving cover.

The supply unit drive motor 5 drives the supply unit 4. A sensor 6 measures the power consumption on the revolving cover drive motor 3. This signal is further transmitted to a computer unit 7. A control signal is generated in the computer unit 7, said control signal controlling the supply unit drive motor 5.

If during operation of the card engine or card machine the power between the revolving cover 1 and the drum 2 is too high, the supply quantity of fibres is reduced through the supply unit 4. This enables an exact influence of the processing quality of the fibres.

During operation fibres are supplied via the supply unit 4 to the card engine or card machine. This is enabled in that the supply unit drive motor 5 drives the supply unit 4. The fibres reach the drum 2 via two rollers, said drum conveying the fibres into the gap between the revolving cover 1 and the drum 2. The revolving cover 1 is separately driven through the revolving cover drive motor 3. The sensor 6 measures the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor 3. If the measured value is larger than a previously defined threshold value, the measured value, which was supplied to the computer unit 7, is processed in a manner that it is supplied to the supply unit drive motor 5 as a control signal, with the result that the power of the supply unit drive motor 5 is minimised. This enables a minimisation of the supply quantity of fibres through the supply unit 4.

Thus, a high-quality product can be obtained at the pickup roller 11 which can be supplied for further processing.

FIG. 2 shows the gap 15 between the drum 2 and the revolving cover 1 in a detailed section. The set 14 and its toothed design can clearly be recognized. The set 9 and its toothed design is also shown. The fibres, which are not shown, are supplied into the gap 15 and are processed in the gap 15.

To fill the card engine or card machine with fibres, the fibres are applied onto the supply means 4 and are conveyed through the opening roller 10 and the supply unit 4 to the drum 2. The drum 2 rotates clockwise and conveys the fibres towards the top. The fibres reach into the gap 15 between the set 9 on the envelope surface 8 of the drum 2 and the set 14 of the revolving cover 1. The revolving cover 1 rotates clockwise. Thus, a combing of the fibres between the revolving cover 1 and the drum 2 takes place. If the power in the gap 15 changes, the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor 3, which is measured by the sensor 6, is also changed. When exceeding a previously defined limit value by the measured value measured in the sensor 6, the supply unit drive motor 5 is controlled by a computer unit 7 in a manner that its power reduces. Thus, the power of the supply unit 4 is reduced. As a consequence, less fibres are supplied to the card engine or card machine.

A measuring protocol is generated, which brings the measured values of the sensor 6 and the quality of the fibres after processing by the card engine or card machine and deposition on the pickup roller 11 in relation. Thus, it is possible to temporally assign the quality of the processed fibres to the measured values existing during processing. Thus, it is possible to achieved reproducible results in the area of the card engine or card machine. 

1. A card engine or card machine comprising a measuring device for detecting the forces prevailing between a revolving cover (1) and a drum (2), characterised in that the measuring device has a sensor (6) for detecting the power consumption of the drive (3) of the revolving cover (1).
 2. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the measured value can be detected at an electric motor for driving the revolving cover (1).
 3. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor (3) can be measured through the sensor (6), the measured value can be utilized for creating a control signal.
 4. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the measured value is further processed.
 5. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the measured value is further processed in a computer unit (7).
 6. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the measured value is compared to a previously defined upper limit value and is compared to a previously defined lower limit value, and previously defined control signals can be generated.
 7. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the supply of fibres into the gap between the revolving cover (1) and the drum (2) can be controlled through control signals.
 8. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that an overload protection of the revolving cover (1) can be implemented in that the revolving cover drive upon existence of a measured value can be switched off via a previously defined maximum value.
 9. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the carding forces can be controlled after measuring the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor (3).
 10. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the sensor (6) measures the measured value through a detection of the medium which can be utilised for driving the revolving cover (1).
 11. A method of controlling a card engine or card machine, comprising a measuring device for detecting the forces prevailing between the revolving cover (1) and the drum (2), characterised in that the power consumption of the drive of the revolving cover (1) is detected.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the measured value is detected through a detection of the power need of the revolving cover drive motor (3).
 13. A method as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the supply of fibres to the car engine or card machine is controlled according to the measured value detected.
 14. A card engine or card machine as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the power consumption of the revolving cover drive motor (3) can be measured through the sensor (6), the measured value can be utilized for creating a control signal.
 15. A method as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the supply of fibres to the car engine or card machine is controlled according to the measured value detected. 